Need to Know
by Stacey James
Summary: Complete story


Chase estimated that he had been following Jack for about five miles and it had been uphill all the way. And uncomfortable too as they had to remain crouched so as not to be visible above the deep undergrowth. They had stopped several times already, hearing noises as twigs cracked behind them, worried that their pursuers had found them. Each time they had paused, alert, ready to shoot. But each time it had been a false alarm: a rabbit perhaps or just the sound of the wind playing tricks on them. Chase still held his gun at the ready but he could see that Jack had tucked his back in his waistband, choosing to use his hands to help him as the ascent steepened. There was a clearing at the top of the hill and Chase thought he might feel safer when he had seen that there was no one waiting for them there. Jack reached the top and stopped. Chase could feel immediately that something was wrong. He waited silently, hearing his own noisy breath as he recovered from the long climb, and saw Jack's head drop momentarily. He realised, with a pang of fear, that the movement was a sign of resignation. Jack turned to look at Chase and he could see from Chase's expression that he didn't need to say anything. It was obvious that their audacious escape had been thwarted. Jack had taken his gun from his waistband and held it loosely in his right hand. He held out his left hand for Chase's gun and Chase watched as Jack tossed both weapons out into the clearing.

Jack waited a few more seconds before standing and walking out into the sunlight, hands interlinked behind his head. Chase followed close behind, assuming the same stance and squinting as the sun hit his eyes. Both men were quickly surrounded by several unkempt but well-trained marksmen. Owuso came from amongst them and walked up to Jack with handcuffs in his hand. Jack could see a heavy chain attached to the cuffs and realised that their feet would be secured too. No obvious escape this time.

'I don't blame you for trying to escape, Jack', Owuso said, his deep voice calm but menacing. 'It was a good effort too, so perhaps your reputation is deserved. I just hope you understand that I won't be taking any chances this time, and my men may be rougher than you would like.' He looked at Chase as he said this, making sure that he realised the threat applied equally to him.

Jack tensed as he saw Owuso's men edging closer but they kept their distance. He was in no hurry to experience the inevitable beating but logic told him there was no escape and the tension and adrenaline were making him restless. Still, he willed himself to stay motionless and expressionless. The next hour or two would doubtless be brutal and they had to reserve whatever strength they could salvage if they stood any chance of living long enough to witness the arrival of the SWAT team. Jack stared at Owuso but his thoughts were elsewhere now, calculating how long it would take Tony to get the team in place. Owuso would have no reason to believe they could have contacted anyone from CTU. He had destroyed their phones and radios when he caught them originally but he hadn't found Jack's transmitter. Owuso's group was heavily manned and armed, but amateurish in procedure. Jack smiled to himself when he thought how easily the SWAT team would take them.

'Come on Jack' he heard Owuso say as he moved a step closer, holding out the cuffs, 'You know the drill. Bring your hands down slowly and hold your hands out in front of you.'

Jack did as he was asked, holding his arms outstretched, waiting to be cuffed and not seeing the iron bar that one of Owuso's man yielded. Chase saw it at the last minute and shouted a warning at Jack just as it connected with Jack's right forearm with a sickening crack. With a gasp of pain, Jack crumpled forward nursing his arm to his body. At the same time, Chase's warning shout had given Owuso's men reason to attack and Chase fell to the ground at Jack's feet under a hail of punches.

Once Chase hit the ground, the men backed off, apparently satisfied for now with the amount of damage they had wrought.

'Get up' Owuso barked at Chase. Jack watched as Chase spat blood into the dirt and pulled himself painfully to his feet. Then he turned his head back to Owuso as he heard his name mentioned.

'Cuffs Jack' Owuso reminded him, a satisfied smirk playing at the corners of his mouth as he looked at the discoloured flesh on Jack's arm.. Jack stared at him angrily, breathing unevenly, reluctant to move the injured limb.

'Don't be daft' Chase shouted. 'He can't move his arm. It's broken'

'Shut him up' Owuso shouted and one of the men moved forward and brought his rifle down sharply on the back of Chase's head. Chase collapsed immediately and several of the men moved forward to cuff him. Owuso returned his attention to Jack, enjoying the power he now had over him.

'Put both arms out in front of you Jack, or I'll ask him to break the other one' He nodded his head to the side and the man with the iron bar moved into Jack's line of vision.

Jack took a deeper breath and, fighting waves of dizziness, gingerly stretched out his hands in front of him. Owuso slowly attached the cuffs to his hands, savouring the small audible gasps of pain that Jack fought to stifle. Then he bent down and secured Jack's ankles.

Satisfied with his work, he beckoned to a group of men who came over and bundled Jack and Chase unceremoniously into the back of an open jeep. Chase remained unconscious and Jack was pushed down to the floor next to him. Four armed guards got in the back to watch them. They definitely weren't taking any chances, Jack thought wryly. As the convoy of vehicles set off, he tried to find a comfortable position for the journey. Eventually, he decided to rest his broken arm on his lap, and conditioned himself to fighting the waves of nausea that hit each time the jeep jolted over the uneven ground.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Owuso sat in silence as the convoy began the trip back to the warehouse. He had chosen to be in a car following the jeep, wanting to be certain nothing else went wrong. Jack's discomfort was clear to him, even from a distance. He could see that the pain was causing him to fidget and Owuso smiled to himself, feeling the pleasure of this victory over Jack, remembering how Jack's arrogance had annoyed him when he'd captured them the first time. Jack had no idea how clever he was. 'Low life' he'd called him. Well, he'd be playing in the big time when he got what he wanted

The fruits of three months' surveillance. That's what this was. And when Jack had given them the address where Farouk was being held by CTU, well then he'd rescue Farouk and give him back. He'd be paid well for his trouble, of course – they all would – but more importantly, he'd finally be taken seriously. He'd be seen as the leader of an elite terrorist group. No, he wouldn't be the low life then. Jack Bauer would be that. He wouldn't kill Jack. He wouldn't kill either of them. He'd make sure CTU knew that Jack Bauer had given him the information. He'd see how much Jack's exemplary military career would count for then.

He was pleased now that he'd decided to take Jack. According to his source, only three people had the information he needed and one of them was the President. He wasn't about to kidnap the President for information, so that left only two. Hammond had seemed like the obvious target – and he was the target favoured by Farouk's group – but he was quite heavily guarded. Bauer was sloppy, or just arrogant. Owuso wasn't sure which. But Jack's routine hadn't changed much since he'd been given the information - just seemed to go more places with this other guy. Two against twenty had stacked the odds in Owuso's favour and he didn't care if Farouk's group thought Jack would be difficult to break. He knew better.

'Why have we taken the other guy?' Owuso's driver asked, breaking his train of thought.

Owuso looked at Travis. He was a big man and he had done a good job on Bauer with that iron bar but he wasn't so smart.

'He might be useful' Owuso answered simply, watching the jeep through the windscreen. He could see that Chase was coming round now and had sat up next to Jack

'How?' Travis persisted. 'He doesn't have the information.'

'Well, we couldn't leave him behind. Dead or alive, he would arouse suspicion. No one knows they're gone yet. They won't notice for hours. Their shift was over.'

'But we could've killed him and hidden the body.'

'We could have. Yes. But I decided that we shouldn't. So, instead, we'll find out what he can tell us about CTU. There'll be a buyer somewhere for any information he's got to give us. Think of him as a bonus Travis.'

-------------------------------------------------------------------

'You OK?' Jack asked as Chase struggled into a sitting position, his chains rattling loudly against the floor of the jeep. 'The bleeding's stopped.' he observed, looking at the back of Chase's head where dried blood was now caked against his scalp.

'Yeah I'm Ok' Chase nodded, his frown betraying the pounding in his head which Jack knew he would be feeling.

Neither man spoke again. They knew the guards might report anything they said and it was no time for small talk. Jack stared out at the passing countryside, and was soon deep in thought. Chase still knew very little about what this was about and Jack was wondering now if he should have distracted the guards and let Chase escape alone. He assumed they wanted him for the information he had, so they didn't need Chase. But no – ridiculous to think like that - they wouldn't have let him escape because he would bring back-up. Jack shifted his position in the jeep, the discomfort in his arm now mirrored by his discomforting thoughts, He had to face the fact that Chase was in this because he had dragged him into it. Hammond had asked for additional security once the information was released to him and he had advised Jack to do the same.

'If someone here is leaking information, we are both in danger, Jack', he had said. But Jack had dismissed the idea.

'Brad, I'm happy for you to get an additional layer of security, but I'm Field Ops. It doesn't make sense for me to do that. In fact, I can't do my job if I do that. I'll tell Chase that we have reason to expect an attack on prominent CTU staff and I'll stop going out alone. But, let's face it; it would be useful for us to know who's leading the terrorist group

'Getting yourself captured isn't the answer Jack' Hammond had said, sounding exasperated. 'This operation isn't about flushing out a team of mercenaries; it's about guarding Farouk securely before he appears in court'.

'I don't intend to get myself captured. I don't think they'll come after the information' Jack had replied, 'But they may try to follow me, hoping I'll lead them to Farouk. We might get lucky and flush them out that way'

Brad had chosen not to pursue the argument any further. CTU knew that a team of mercenaries were working inside the United States, apparently happy to serve any terrorist cause for the right money, often just inciting violence amongst peaceful demonstrations, and he knew how keen Jack was to bring them down before their numbers expanded. He wanted it too, of course, but he was better at waiting than Jack.

Jack had to admit to himself now that he had underestimated both the manpower and weapon power of the organisation. He winced as the jeep bounced over a particularly rough piece of ground and studied the rapidly spreading bruising around the break on his arm his broken arm. Yes, he had misjudged this group. Nevertheless, it looked like this would work in CTU's favour. Tony had their location so Jack's role was simple now. He just had to keep quiet about what he knew.

But he wished he hadn't dragged Chase into it. It seemed he was going to get hurt, maybe even lose his life, as a result of Jack's misjudgement and without knowing why. Jack couldn't see any way of making things easier for Chase. If he convinced them that Chase had no information, they would probably kill him. If he said he did – they would certainly torture him. His only option was to say nothing and hope that Chase learnt enough about what was going on by listening to his interrogators.

Chase was staring straight ahead and Jack wondered what was going through his mind. He knew in theory what might await them at the warehouse. He had experienced interrogation training, of course – passed with flying colours, Jack could remember from his personnel file. But the real thing? Jack wished he could save him from finding out and he swallowed as memories of his experiences flooded back. Perhaps it was worse to have already felt the pain of torture, to be able to imagine so vividly how the pain would feel if her were electrocuted or burned or…But this wasn't helping him. He could see that Chase was breathing evenly and deeply, exactly as his training had taught him. Jack realised he could learn from him at this moment. And he forced himself to concentrate on his breathing and on the scenery, taking his mind away from the knowledge he held and the pain ahead.

Chase could see the warehouse in the distance now and he couldn't stop himself wondering what would happen to them. Clearly this group thought they had information. Chase couldn't imagine that he had anything useful to them. He wasn't aware of any current high security operations. But Jack probably was. His security clearance was way higher, and he had indicated the possibility of a threat against CTU personnel. So something was happening that Chase knew nothing about. Well, right now he'd rather know nothing. That way there was no chance of telling them anything. And he could pretend he knew something, if it came to it. That way he might able to make things easier for Jack. He looked across at Jack. He had turned slightly away from Chase and was looking out into space, apparently calm. Bruising was visible almost immediately below the tattoo which was exposed below the sleeve of his black T shirt. The arm looked painful but Chase realised, with the first real pang of fear that a broken arm was likely to be the least of Jack's – and his - worries over the next hour or two.

It was almost a year to the day that Chase had first heard the details of Jack's interrogation by Kingsley's men. He had been drafted in to CTU while Jack was still taking time off at home and rumours were circling around the office. He remembered Tony making a brief announcement to the effect that everything they had heard was true. That had done the trick and the talking had stopped. It was titillating when it was a rumour, but shocking when it was true. They knew they were all at risk; all military personnel; all targets for terrorists, and Tony had just reminded them of the inherent danger in their work. So Chase knew some of what Jack had suffered, but he still found it difficult to imagine him that vulnerable. Within CTU, Jack was seen as strong and forthright. Not everybody liked him but everybody respected him. You didn't take on Jack Bauer unless you were absolutely sure you were right. Chase had several times seen Chapelle and Hammond cowed by Jack's insistence. Only Tony seemed to be able to get past that. Jack had an innate respect for Tony's opinions because, he had explained to Chase, he knew that Tony could see all sides of the situation. Jack had always been so well prepared for the operations which Chase had been involved in. His military planning was impeccable; his confidence was infectious and his fear well hidden. He had always made Chase well aware of the dangers in each situation and they had always triumphed – until now, Chase thought ironically.

Jack's eyes locked briefly with Chase's and Chase wondered what he could see there. Not fear. Not yet anyway. Some pain certainly, but also concern. For whom? For him maybe. He knew instinctively that Jack would feel guilty about bringing him into it. Chase looked back at him.

'I'm Ok' he said, as if answering again Jack's question from when he had first regained consciousness. He hoped he conveyed more this time; that Jack would know that he was OK with the situation, however it turned out. He knew it was only a matter of time until the SWAT team arrived. He just hoped he was up to the challenge of the next couple of hours

And now the jeep had stopped and the guards were directing their prisoners with their rifles. Jack and Chase rose to their feet, the shackles making it difficult to stand upright, and shuffled to the edge of the jeep. The chains made the jump down quite difficult, especially for Jack who grunted as his arm vibrated from the shock of the landing. The two men shuffled ahead of their captors through the wide doors of the warehouse. This was as far as they'd got last time. Jack had managed to reach a knife strapped to his back and had cut his own ropes and then Chase's. They had kept up the pretence of being still bound for another few seconds before exchanging a brief and almost imperceptible nod and taking out the two guards closest to them and retrieving their guns. They had reached the bushes before the first gun shots rang out, the reactions of Owuso's men leaving much to be desired. Once in the undergrowth, their superior stamina and training had allowed them to put a distance between them and their pursuers. This time, there would be no such escape.

Jack looked around the warehouse, his eyes scanning every wall and window, instinctively looking at it as a target, imagining the best positions for snipers, measuring distances between obstacles that would provide cover for the rescue team. He wished he could relay some of this information to Tony to help with the planning but he felt confident, nevertheless, that any SWAT team would be able to handle this. They would have satellite pictures, could identify the positions of the guards in advance. And these guards were amateurish in their approach. Jack knew they would be easily taken out. At least he had given an estimate of the numbers involved. Looking around now, he wondered if that had still been an underestimate. But it was close enough to allow Tony to plan properly. He counted ten guards lined up along the left wall of the warehouse and turned his head to the right to see how many were there. Roughly the same number, he thought. And equally unprofessional. Some were talking. One was even smoking. Men playing at soldiers, he thought dismissively, and he smiled to himself at the knowledge that their game would be short-lived.

He had also seen two men throwing ropes over a low beam and assumed this was where he and Chase would end up. He glanced at Chase and could see that he was watching the same procedure. Jack had also seen a couple of baseball bats leaning against a pillar near the ropes so it looked like this was going to be done the old-fashioned way. Very unimaginative, he thought to himself. Well, he was still in no rush to get it started and it was in their interest to play for time, so Jack decided to mess with Owuso for a minute or two.

'Hey, Owuso" he called, waiting to continue until Owuso turned his body back to face him, 'There's no need for that' he nodded his head towards where the men were testing the strength of the bonds they had created.' His voice sounded gruff.

'Oh but there is, Jack' Owuso replied, 'I can assure you that there is'

'Not if I talk now' Jack said softly, his gravely voice not much above a whisper, 'maybe I've already seen enough of what you can do'. He raised his hands slightly in front of him, drawing attention to his injured right arm and finding that it required no play-acting to moan in pain at the same time.

Chase turned his head to look at Jack. He hoped he looked suitably shocked by his partner's apparent capitulation. He realised this was a simple delaying tactic, but the groan had sounded real enough. Looking at the bruising, Chase wasn't surprised. Owuso stepped closer to Jack, as if shortening the distance between them might better help him assess the truth of what he said, and Jack tried to look intimidated by his proximity. His natural reaction would have been to maintain eye contact, but instead, he let his eyes flicker around incessantly, finally settling on Owuso's swarthy face, wondering if he had convinced him at all. Apparently, he hadn't.

'Playing for time eh Jack? Well that's fair enough I suppose. But I want you to know that it irritates me' And he lifted his arm and slapped Jack across the face with the back of his hand. Jack's head jerked back, rocked slightly by the force of the blow. He brought his head back, already tasting blood in his mouth, and his eyes narrowed as he stared at his assailant angrily.

'You're a stupid man, aren't you' Jack said, as if making a casual observation. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a couple of Owuso's guards looking at each other, wondering what would happen next. They didn't have to wait long to find out as Owuso immediately ordered Travis to string them up. Travis strode across, three men following him to help him half push and half carry their captives across the ropes. They were uncuffed and their hands were pushed into the nooses that had been created at the end of the ropes. The men then pulled the ropes using them as a pulley to raise Jack and Chase so that their feet barely touched the floor. Chase felt horribly vulnerable as his arms were pulled away from his body and his grey shirt rose up exposing his abdomen. He could hear Jack grunting as his arms took the strain. After just a few seconds they found themselves dangling defencelessly, completely at the mercy of their captors. Chase stole a glance at Jack and instantly wished he hadn't as he recognised as fear the emotion that flickered in his eyes. Jack screwed up his face in pain as his body swung slightly from side to side. He was feeling increasingly nauseous and his stomach began to heave as Owuso approached Chase.

Owuso stood right in front of Chase but he looked first at Jack. He had decided he'd find out how tough Chase was first. And he wanted to see if Jack would react to his partner's pain. He figured it would at least pile on the agony for him as he waited for his own punishment. And it might be more effective than that. He'd seen it happen before; men cracking before the torturer even got to them. And Jack was clearly struggling already, desperately trying to reposition his hands in the rope so that he could take more of his weight on his good arm. Owuso turned to Chase and opened his mouth to speak but found himself interrupted by a dry gagging as Jack was overcome by the nausea which had threatened him since the iron bar had connected with his arm..

Owuso screwed up his face in disgust as Jack's retching resulted in a small amount of vomit which he spat to the floor. He looked into Jack's eyes but decided not to talk to him. Jack was too involved in his own struggle to control his retching. So he turned his attention back to Chase. 'Do you know anything useful at all, I wonder' Owuso said to Chase, holding his head on one side as if he hoped to read an answer in Chase's expression. Chase stared back defiantly. He could see no point in speaking now. He'd been trained to say nothing at all and he intended to follow his training – for as long as possible. He knew that all he could do now was to listen and wait.

'I'm a reasonable man, so let's start with something simple shall we?' Owuso asked Chase, adopting a sympathetic tone which belied the coldness of his stare. 'You've probably worked with Jack long enough to know the direct line for the President, for example. Perhaps you'd like to give us that – just to show us that you're willing to cooperate'

Chase exhaled. The irony of that question! He almost laughed. He had no idea how many people in CTU knew the President's direct line number. Jack had it. Tony too, that was certain. Possibly Hammond? He wasn't sure about that. But there was no chance of Jack giving the number to Chase. There were some areas where Jack worked strictly within protocol and this was one. Jack gave out information only on a need to know basis. He probably followed the same guidelines for personal information, Chase thought, almost amused by his own reflections. He found he was smiling at the absurdity of the question. This man obviously didn't know Jack very well. He tried to wipe the smile off his face, realising that it could only incite a violent reaction. But he was too late.

Owuso swung his fists into Chase's exposed stomach. Unable to bend to protect himself, Chase felt the full force of the punches. He felt as if he was being split apart by the spasming of his muscles as he fought for breath. Jack saw the punches out of the corner of his eye and heard the sound of Chase's strangulated cry for breath. And then it was Chase's turn to retch as his body tried to recover from the onslaught. Owuso picked up one of the baseball bats. He clearly hadn't finished tormenting Chase yet. He waited for a second, to make sure that he had Chase's full attention, then he prodded him lightly in the stomach with the end of the bat.

Aren't you going to answer me?' He queried, tapping the bat against his captive as he swung to and fro.

Chase looked at him; decided to delay the attack with the bat for a second or two.

'I don't have that sort of information' he rasped truthfully in response.

'Bullsit" Owuso responded. 'This is going to hurt' he added, unnecessarily. And as he prepared himself to hit Chase again, he stole a glance at Jack to see if his threats were making any impression. Like Chase, Jack had wondered at the ignorance of the question. Did he think everybody at CTU had the president's private number? Owuso's eyes connected with Jack's momentarily but he could see nothing there. Jack's eyes were as cold as his own.

Owuso swung the bat angrily into Chase's prone form, this time getting a clear shout of pain and then a low groan as his body swung violently with the ferocity of the blow. Pleased with his work, he swung the bat three or four more times, aiming a little higher so that both he and Chase heard one of his ribs crack. Chase's groans were now incessant and his head dropped forward as his swinging body came slowly to a halt. Owuso pushed his head back and looked into eyes now glazed with pain.

He turned to Jack. . 'Your turn now then Jack' he said with a smile. 'And I'll try to be more imaginative with you' he added, signalling to Travis. Jack saw Travis pushing a box towards him. He could see wires at the top of the box and he squirmed painfully against the ropes as he realised what Owuso had in mind for him. Owuso nodded, pleased that Jack was already aware of his fate. Without any warning he ripped the front of Jack's T- shirt open to prepare his chest for the wires and immediately noticed the transmitter taped to his skin.

'What's this?' Owuso asked quietly, prodding the transmitter where it lay taped to Jack's chest, 'What _is _this?' He stared angrily into Jack's eyes

'Is that a rhetorical question?' Jack asked with practiced calm. Beneath the surface, he felt less than pleased with this latest development. Would the SWAT team be close yet? Did Owuso have the time – or the sense – to move his prisoners elsewhere before the rescue attempt? Jack could feel Chase's eyes on him. How many mistakes was he going to make today? He should have ditched the transmitter, made just the one call and then thrown it away. Sonovabitch! He felt infuriated by his misjudgement.

He flinched as Owuso's hand flashed out in front of him but he simply tore the transmitter from Jack's chest, holding it up between thumb and forefinger and brandishing it in Jack's face, before dropping it angrily to the floor and grinding his heel into it as it landed.

"Who have you contacted? What have you told them? When did you last speak to them?" He was out of control now, questions spewing out of his mouth in a fuming frenzy. Jack turned his head instinctively as he felt spittle fly into his face. He wished he could wipe it off. Owuso was incensed and it didn't look as if he was expecting any answers so Jack just blinked in response.

'You bstard' Owuso shouted. He had his hands to Jack's throat now, squeezing hard and efficiently and lifting his body upwards. Jack struggled initially but a sudden and shocking pain shot up his arm and reminded him that he could only make things worse for himself by resisting. Against every instinct in his body, he forced himself still. His eyes bulged as his air supply was cut off and the first wave of dizziness swept through him. Owuso didn't want him dead. He knew that. But he also knew that Owuso was an amateur and that's what worried him. He probably had no idea how long he could do this before his victim was dead – or brain damaged. Chase, apparently, was thinking the same thing.

"Get off him before you kill him" Chase shouted hoarsely, worried by the speed at which Jack's body had relaxed. 'He's no use to you dead'.

Owuso looked from Jack to Chase and then back again, clearly disoriented by his own anger. But, mercifully, he decided to let go. Jack gasped as he threw his head back reflexively, fighting to fill his lungs with air, trying to ignore the hammering throb in his arm.

Chase estimated that an hour must have passed since Jack had managed to alert Tony and he was worried about Jack's condition. His own arms were cramping and his damaged ribs were making his breathing laboured. He didn't want to imagine how Jack's broken arm must feel. And now he was worried that the rescue team might not get to them. They would be in place soon but he and Jack needed to stay here as long as they could. The discovery of the hidden transmitter surely meant that Owuso would move them to another location. He'd know they'd made contact. It was his only move. Why had Jack still been wearing the dmn thing? It would have been useful later, of course, when the rescue team closed in – but the chances of Owuso finding it were so high. Well, perhaps they could play that to their advantage.

It seemed Jack had been making the same computations whilst fighting to get the oxygen he needed back into his lungs

'If it was working, do you think we'd be here now?' He asked Owuso, seeing that he looked a little calmer, a little more likely to listen. He spoke quietly. His voice a little unsteady but sufficiently clear for Chase to hear. He could try to flatter Owuso too, he decided. The man seemed stupid enough.

'You know something about military operations, don't you? How long do you think it takes CTU to put a rescue unit together? We've got units all across the country - so how long? Twenty minutes? Thirty?' He left a gap before answering his own question with what he hoped was the right degree of frustration and exhaustion in his voice 'Forty tops… I haven't contacted anybody. We're miles out of range here. Try it yourself.'

He looked down theatrically at the shattered transmitter on the ground by Owuso's feet

'Oh but you can't. You've broken it'. He grinned as if Owuso's ignorance was a reasonable target for a shared joke. Chase smiled despite himself. That was a clever exchange. And probably a brave one too. It wasn't going to get Jack any favours; that was for sure.

As if responding to Chase's thoughts, Owuso slammed into Jack with his fists, wiping the grin off his face with a swift uppercut to the chin and then laying into his exposed stomach. From what Chase could see he appeared to have taken Jack dangerously close to passing out before his attack was interrupted by Travis.

'Don't push him too far yet boss,' Travis said, tapping him lightly on the shoulder

The reminder of his purpose was enough to stop him. Owuso took a step back to admire his handiwork. Jack's body now flailed on the ropes. He had instinctively tried to curl to protect himself from the punches but had succeeded only in losing the slight grip he had with his feet. His arms and shoulders now took the strain and his head lolled forward, small drops of blood rhythmically dripping from his mouth to the floor as his body writhed in his attempt to breathe. But Chase could see that his eyes were still open.

Owuso turned to talk to Travis.

'I don't think he made contact' Owuso said, his voice muffled slightly by the sound of Jack heaving, but still audible to Chase, 'But we can't take the chance. Go out and get the cars ready. We'll go north to the safe house. It's thirty miles. We'll be safe there.'

Travis snapped his fingers and a few men followed him out to help wit the cars. Inside, Owuso shouted orders to cut down Jack and Chase and cuff them again. One of the guards sliced through the ropes with a long knife. Chase managed to take his own weight though he could feel himself swaying. He watched as Jack fell painfully to the floor, grunting as he landed. But Chase could see that he was still thinking ahead; he had managed to protect his arm from the fall.

As the cuffs were fastened, Chase made a mental note of the guard with the keys. He intended to be ready if any possible escape route presented itself. Jack was pulled to his feet but Chase could see that he was still struggling to recover.

'Lean on me' he suggested. Jack looked at him but shook his head.

'I'm OK' he said, somewhat unconvincingly. Nevertheless he managed to shuffle and stagger to the door and into a car that awaited them. Chase realised that Owuso must have made the decision that an open jeep was too visible. The car started up straight away, leaving a trail of dirt hanging in the air as it accelerated across the track.

Jack kept his eyes peeled at the windows. The rescue team was probably in the area. He saw nothing for several miles and then glimpsed a glint on the horizon. He looked round at Chase, flicking his eyes in the direction of the reflection he had seen. Chase nodded almost imperceptibly. He'd seen it too. Seconds later, the first bullet struck, taking out one of the front tyres of the car and sending it into an immediate skid. Chase and Jack knew this was the beginning of the assault and probably the only chance at escape they'd get.

The car screeched to a halt and, on Owuso's orders, two guards immediately dragged Jack and Chase from the car. The five men crouched behind one car. Jack and Chase looked around, trying to assess the tactics which were being employed. It was clear to them already that the assault had not have been planned this way. Chase thought it likely that the team had been converging on the warehouse when they saw the movement of the cars and decided to strike. Looking round, Chase could see that they were under fire from two directions but they were not fully surrounded, more evidence that the decision to attack had been forced on them early. Tactically, this style of attack should still ensure the demise of Owuso's team, but the rescue of prisoners would be more complicated. It seemed clear to Chase that he and Jack should attempt to take out their immediate guards. Otherwise, inevitably, they would find themselves used as hostages. The guard to Chase's right was the guard with the keys to the cuffs. But there was another guard in between him and Jack; and Owuso next to Jack.

Chase looked at Jack. He looked alert enough now; running on adrenaline probably. But it was impossible to be sure if he had drawn the same conclusions. He wasn't even sure if Jack would feel physically capable of attempting to escape. A one-on-one with any of these three guys was going to be a struggle for either of them. And with a broken arm? Three against two, and two in cuffs. Impossible odds. But then, Chase watched as Owuso began to creep around the side of the car, apparently assessing the danger of crossing to the next vehicle to retrieve more ammunition. His head popped back a second later.

'Watch these two' he snapped at the guards, 'I'm going to get more ammo'

As soon as he disappeared again, Chase struck. He swung his cuffed wrists into the head of the guard closest to him. Jack saw the movement and swung his body sideways head butting the other guard to the ground. Chase took the keys and the gun from his guard. But Jack's guard had fallen onto his gun and, without the use of his arm, Jack couldn't manoeuvre the body to reach the weapon. Seeing his struggle, Chase threw him the gun he had and began to open his cuffs. Jack turned his back on the unconscious guards and waited instead for Owuso's return. Chase was uncuffed in less than a minute.

'Jack' he called, the continuous gun fire making it necessary for him to shout.

Hearing his name, Jack turned. He could see that Chase was now free so he threw him the gun in exchange for the keys. Chase kept the gun pointing just beyond Jack's head, in the position where he expected to see Owuso return at any minute. The pain in Jack's arm slowed his progress unlocking the cuffs but he got there eventually.

'OK' he shouted to Chase, 'Go!'

Seeing Jack ready to go, Chase turned away from him ready to run into the undergrowth behind him. His plan was for them to circle around until they reached the main SWAT position. But as he took his first step towards freedom, he heard Owuso's voice.

'Yore not going anywhere' he shouted and Chase turned to see him with his left arm around Jack's neck in a stranglehold. With his right hand, he pressed a gun to the side of Jack's head.

When Chase turned, he had his gun pointed directly at Owuso and he knew immediately, with a stab of regret, that if he had fired as he turned, he would probably have killed Owuso; and the shock would most likely have been enough to delay Owuso's shot and save Jack too. But he didn't. He began to lower his gun, looking at Jack as he did so. Jack was mouthing the word 'no' and Chase knew what he was thinking. Owuso wasn't going to kill Jack – not right there, not while he still had a chance. Chase could get away.

He had to make a split second decision and, wondering if he would regret it forever, he lowered his gun a little more before suddenly turning and, taking one step, diving round the side of the car.

'Sht!" Owuso exclaimed angrily and Jack felt the crack of the gun as Owuso brought it down sideways against his skull – and then nothing as he slumped to the ground.

'Sht!" Owuso exclaimed again as a bullet clipped the top of the open car door. He scrambled to safety over Jack's unconscious body and crouched on one knee, rapidly reloading his shotgun. Then he briefly raised his head above the car and shot wildly in the direction of the ambushing fire before dropping back down to shield himself from the return onslaught. Owuso sat with his back to the car, breathing heavily, all too aware that the return fire was much more accurate than his own shots. He took a slow deep breath to calm himself, and looked at Jack where he lay in a crumpled heap, blood trickling down the side of his face from the new head wound. His torn T'shirt hung loosely on his body and his broken arm was splayed out to the side at an unnatural angle. Owuso tried to focus on a plan. The ambush was too professional for him to expect to be able to shoot his way out. He had already seen several of his men fall to the ground. He might not last much longer if he stayed here.

Using Jack as a hostage was clearly a non-starter too, so he couldn't expect to negotiate his way out of this. He was surprised that Chase had been prepared to put Jack's life at risk by escaping. He had appeared to care about Jack's welfare earlier, when Travis had taken him down with the crowbar. Yes, Owuso had to admit to himself that he had misjudged Chase. Apparently CTU would let Jack die. Thinking about it, Owuso supposed that Jack's death would just be perceived as an unfortunate but inescapable element of the fight against terrorism. He looked again at Jack's unconscious body and wondered if Jack had expected that Chase would surrender for him. Surely he would have expected that? It was difficult for him to imagine what motivated these people.

He could think of only one way out of this now. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed one of the keys.

Jack opened his eyes, groggily remembering Chase's escape. He was immediately aware of a constant throbbing in his head competing with the waves of pain shooting up from his arm. He winced and readied himself to sit up but, seeing Owuso on the phone, closed his eyes again quickly in the hope that he might gain some advantage from appearing comatose. The pain in his head receded slightly as he closed his eyes, and he concentrated his attention on the exchange on the phone.

'I've been ambushed' he heard Owuso explain. 'I had to move ….They were aware of my position….the others aren't going to make it'. There was a silence as Owuso's correspondent apparently tried to get to grips with what had happened.

'…Well I've still got him so you'll just have to decide whether you want him or not', Owuso continued, clearly irritated by some criticism of his operation so far, '… And yes, of course I'm sure it's Bauer.' He waited then for a decision.

'..Alright, I'll drag him into the undergrowth'. Owuso replied, giving his current compass position before adding.'…But I'll be north of that – maybe two or three hundred yards. I need to get away from the cars.' He was obviously trying to judge how far he could drag Jack's body.

Jack waited quietly for Owuso to get back to him. Could he take him while it was still one on one? Should he take him? If he remained a prisoner, he could lead the SWAT team to Farouk's men. Chase would have rejoined the team by now and Jack knew he would immediately organise a small surveillance team. They would have satellite imagery, trained experts… and Owuso was obviously running scared – no mention on the phone of ever having had two prisoners – he hadn't wanted to look totally incompetent. So Farouk's men wouldn't particularly expect to be followed. Surely this was an opportunity not to be missed. What were the cons...? He could get hurt. Well, he was already hurt. And, anyway, he could die trying to escape. He was unarmed and in pain. He couldn't put up much of a fight so if he wasn't immediately successful taking Owuso by surprise he would be easily beaten. He had made his decision.

He grunted as Owuso lifted his feet from the ground and dragged him back away from the car. He kept his eyes closed as his back and head bumped over the uneven land. He couldn't fully protect his arm without drawing attention to himself but he rolled his body slightly and kept the arm close to his side, minimising the number of hits it took against the ground. After they had covered about a hundred yards Jack began to worry that he had underestimated the pain of being dragged into the bushes. Fortunately, it appeared that Owuso had underestimated the exertion of dragging a lifeless body and he dropped Jack's legs and bent down to catch his breath. Jack moaned quietly to let Owuso know that he was regaining consciousness. Owuso immediately poked Jack in the side with his foot to accelerate the process.

'Get up' he ordered, pointing his gun at Jack's head, 'But keep your head down. I don't want you dead yet. Now keep walking in that direction.' He pointed with his gun.

Jack obliged, stumbling ahead of Owuso into the longer grass, the two small figures both clearly visible to Chase as he focused the binoculars.

After just a few minutes, a big black Mercedes drew up and the front passenger door flew open. Jack took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for whatever ordeal might come next, hoping that his decision to remain captive wouldn't result in his death. He watched as a big man leapt out and, seeing, Jack, immediately raised his gun so that it pointed directly at Jack's chest.

Jack moved his hands away from his body and raised his arms slightly, unwilling to attempt to get them above his head. He kept his palms facing outwards towards his assailant in a general gesture of surrender.

'Why isn't he cuffed? Don't you know anything about him?' The big man addressed Owuso, irritation evident in his tone.

'Of course I do'

'Well then, you should know enough not to take any chances with him'

'His arm's broken, Misha' Owuso said indicating the bruised and swollen flesh on Jack's extended arm, 'He's not going anywhere fast.'

'OK - Good' the big man said and he stepped forward.

'Are you going to do as I say? He asked Jack, 'Will the arm be enough to keep you out of trouble?' He looked at Jack expectantly, apparently waiting for an answer.

'Are you going to do as I say? He repeated. His voice had become a little harsher and his irritation was clear in his tone.

'Do I have a choice?" Jack asked sarcastically

In reply, the man smiled sadistically and then reached out both hands and grabbed at Jack's arm, pressing his fingers into the bruised flesh and callously twisting.

Jack bent his body towards the arm, trying to move with the rotation, but the pain just kept on coming and he felt his knees buckle. Misha released his arm then, and let him drop to his knees on the ground.

Jack held his broken arm protectively against his body and waited for the dreadful throbbing to subside. He looked like a broken man; alone and on his knees, his T-shirt torn like a rag; visible bruising on his arm and stomach; his body curled as if to protect himself from more punishment. He looked up at Misha; and Misha was surprised to see anger and resistance in his eyes, where he had hoped to see pain and submission. He reached down angrily, ready to grab the arm again, determined to see Jack defeated. Jack visibly flinched and recoiled from the outstretched hand, not ready to submit to more torment.

'I still haven't had an answer from you', Misha said, calmer now that he could sense defeat in his victim. 'Are you going to do as I say?'

He reached out again towards Jack

'Yes, yes, I'll do what you say' Jack muttered, reluctantly humbled by the threat of more unnecessary suffering. He was sure there was more to come. No point in taking more than he had to.

'Well, you can start by getting in the car,' Misha said, nodding at the back door which now stood open. Jack got up from the ground with difficulty, feeling the bruising from the beating he had taken earlier but pleased to find that the dizziness was wearing off. He walked across to the car and looked in at the back seat where he could see another guard with a gun pointed at him. He got in and moved across to the middle of the seat, making room for Owuso to sit the other side of him. He held his broken arm tightly, all too aware of the vulnerability of his position between two guards. He just hoped that Chase was able to track the car.

Chase watched Jack get in the car. He could see that Jack had been on the receiving end of more rough treatment and knew that there would be more to come. Hopefully, he would have a rescue team ready within half an hour but he knew that the minutes would seem like hours to Jack. He watched the car pull away and exhaled. It was reasonable to assume that this would be a short journey. Owuso must have called for help when he realised that he couldn't escape the ambush and Chase had been surprised how quickly the car had turned up. It must mean they had a safe house nearby. Leaving two specialists to track the car, he called CTU and asked to speak to Tony. Chase related the details of their abduction, giving him as much information as he could about the people involved and reassuring Tony that he was fine. But he was aware as he was talking how little he really knew about what was happening. He didn't even know what these people expected to get out of Jack

Tony had the answer to that.

'Did you know we'd caught Farouk?' Tony asked

'No' Chase replied. This was beginning to make sense. Farouk was an important catch.

'Yeah. Well, CTU are holding him at a secret location before he goes to trial.

'Where? And when's the trial?'

'I wasn't given the information', Tony responded, 'It was disseminated purely on a need to know basis. Hammond asked Jack to organise the whole thing. Other than those two, I don't know anyone who has the information. Even the guards were shipped there blindfolded. Jack has it sewn up tight.'

'So they took Jack to break him – did they think I knew the location too?' Chase wondered, thinking out loud.

'Doubtful' Tony said, 'But there's more... '

Chase waited for him to continue

'OK Chase. This is just as confidential but I guess you should know the full story now. Jack also told me he thought they had an inside man. No way could the mole know the information, but every chance he – or she, of course - would know who had it.'

'So, are you saying Jack didn't trust me?' Chase asked,

'Jack did trust you Chase and that's the only reason I'm giving you this information' Tony responded, irritated by Chase's piqued tone. 'This is the highest level of security, Chase. I'm CTU Director and I don't know Farouk's location. And if Jack thought it better not to tell me then I'm happy not to know. At this level, that's what trust means.'

'Sorry – yes I understand' Chase said, feeling suddenly out of his depth. This was way beyond the office politics that CTU staff discussed in terms of how Tony and Jack worked together. But he had more questions to ask Tony, 'So you are saying that this is the reason Jack thought he might be a target'

'Listen Chase, if you're saying Jack told you that he might be a terrorist target – then yes – that would be the reason'.

'So, Jack's capture has worked in his favour' Chase said, thinking out loud again. He could imagine that, despite the pain, Jack would be feeling a grim satisfaction with the way things were turning out. 'We've already taken out Owuso's group, and if we go in now, we'll get Farouk's cell too'

'And it's possible that Jack foresaw this outcome' Tony said. Listening to Chase, it seemed more likely to Tony that Jack had already weighed up the value of being captured. Presumably, Chase's capture had just been collateral damage. He'd let Chase work that one out himself.

'But the mole will stay in place' Chase made it a statement rather than a question. He could see no way of flushing out the insider.

We can take as many of Farouk's team alive as possible – and hope someone will talk' Tony said, 'But you should make Jack your priority in this operation. Dead or alive, taking Faraouk's team will count as a successful operation'.

'Anything else?' Chase asked, ready now to plan the rescue

Tony hesitated slightly before asking, 'Do I need to get Farouk moved?'

'You mean – will they break Jack before we get in?' Chase said, realising immediately the implications of the question. 'No - almost certainly – no'

'Almost certainly - 100, 90?' Tony asked for clarification. It would be his responsibility if this group broke Jack and sprang Farouk. 'What sort of state is he in?'

'OK – I'm 100 certain,' Chase responded, hoping he was right, 'As I said - they broke his arm with a crowbar –so he's in a lot of pain. And Owuso – he kept focusing on the arm of course. I was sort of hoping Jack would pass out but he didn't. But Jack's pissed with them. I mean the pain is making him angry. He's way off breaking'

'OK, Chase. I'm sure you're right. Keep the line open when you go in' Tony said, and he put down the phone and stared at the blank wall ahead of him. He knew a lot of people who thought Jack asked a lot of his teams, but Jack never asked for any sacrifice that he wasn't prepared to give himself. Tony knew that was how he commanded and retained so much respect amongst the men he directed. He just hoped Jack would get out of this alive.

Misha turned round to look at the Jack squashed between Owuso and the other guard in the back of the car. The car was bumping over rough ground and Jack was concentrating on shielding his arm from as much of the jolting as he could

'We'll be there in less than ten minutes Jack' he said, 'will you be OK that long?'

The men either side of Jack smiled at the question and Jack looked up but declined to answer. He thought it was a reasonable bet that any answer would incite an aggressive response. He just wished they'd leave him alone. He felt sick, and ridiculously tired, very aware that the short respite from the torture was lulling his body into a false sense of security. And he had to admit to himself that he felt totally ill prepared to face the next onslaught.

'Hey, answer the man!' Owuso said, and shook Jack's shoulder, wanting an opportunity to show Misha the extent of Jack's vulnerability, eager to impress a man whose cruelty he had long admired.

Jack gritted his teeth. He winced as Owuso's arm connected with his shoulder and his body shuddered as he suffered the expected reprisal with as much dignity as he could muster, his ragged breath belying his impassive expression. He turned to Owuso angrily.

'If I live through this Owuso, I _will_ kill you' Jack rasped.

Determination glinted in Jack's eyes and Owuso looked away, hiding the disquiet he felt behind a smile of indifference. Immediately recognising the fragility of Owuso's show of power and relishing his small victory, Jack turned his attention to Misha.

'Did you employ this amateur?' He asked derisively - as if a professional interrogation would have suited him better.

Owuso at once swung round in his seat and grabbed what was left of Jack's T-shirt with his right hand. His left hand went to Jack's throat in an effort to choke him. Sandwiched between the two men, his broken arm resting uselessly on his lap, Jack was powerless to stop him, but Misha intervened as Jack had expected him to.

'Get off him, Owuso!' Misha shouted angrily, 'I think that's what he means by amateur'

Owuso reluctantly released his grip, anger burning in his eyes as he heard Misha's rebuke.

'Let's all calm down' Misha continued. 'I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to entertain Jack in a few minutes'

'Ah, here we are now,' He said, sounding supremely satisfied, as if he had reached a holiday destination.

Jack looked out at what looked like a wooden cabin; easy to storm, he thought contentedly, consciously focusing his mind on the likelihood of a positive outcome in the near future. The car drew up and Owuso's door was nearest to the cabin so he swung it open and stepped out, turning immediately to train his gun on Jack as he used his left arm to propel his body across the seat to the door. Jack took a step closer to Owuso, sensing some advantage in goading him further.

'How long do you suppose Misha is going to let you stick around?' He asked, his voice menacingly quiet.

'He doesn't need you' he persisted, falling silent as he heard Misha approach him from the side.

'Shut up Jack' Misha ordered and he prodded him in the side with his gun to make his intentions clear.

Jack looked at him and then at the cabin door which had been opened by the driver.

'After you Jack' Misha said, waving his gun in the direction of the open door. Jack walked up the steps and into the cabin, adjusting his eyes to the dim lighting within.

Misha opened the blinds, apparently keen to let Jack see more clearly. What he saw made his blood run cold.

Where Owuso's warehouse base had been makeshift and amateurish, this one was clinical and professional. A building which outside appeared nothing more than an uninhabited hovel, inside resembled a cross between a hi-tech office and a purpose built torture chamber. But it was the sight of Michelle, secured to a chair in the corner which made Jack catch his breath. She was blindfolded and obviously sufficiently alert to have turned her head in the direction of the scuffled footsteps she had heard. But her left arm was covered in blood and she looked pale and in pain. Her blouse had been ripped open and he thought she had probably been shot, but from a distance he couldn't be sure.

She was supposed to be visiting her parents this week. He couldn't remember any details of the arrangement but she'd left the office at least two days earlier. Did Tony know she was missing? He had to assume not; although he knew that Tony really hadn't had time to do anything other than listen when Jack had called him earlier.

Jack also reluctantly acknowledged the possibility that this could be a set up. Michelle could be the mole. He knew better than to dismiss the possibility out of hand but, looking at her current state, he didn't think it was likely. She might assume she needed some proof of her status as a captive to convince him – but there was a lot of blood. The bruises looked real enough too, and she had the disoriented look he'd seen before in blindfolded captives. He looked round at their captors. They were clearly enjoying watching the moment of shock that had played visibly across his face. And it looked as if they were expecting him to speak.

'Michelle' Jack said tentatively, softly, taking a couple of steps towards her. He found his path across to her blocked by a guard with a shotgun so he remained stationery. 'Are you OK?' He asked.

'Jack?' She queried, turning her face towards him. The shock in her voice as she said his name was enough to convince him that she was not a party to Misha's plans. He could see livid bruising on her right cheekbone and some swelling around her eye. Her voice was a little shaky as well, and he wondered if they had her drugged. Perfectly possible, he thought. They appeared to have every conceivable interrogation device. 'Jack?' She called out again, a little more confident this time, wanting confirmation.

'A very touching reunion' Misha observed. He had moved up close behind Jack and Jack could feel the cold steel of the gun on the back of his neck. He took that as a sign that he had said enough and he stayed silent. He knew this interrogation was going to be more difficult now. He had entered the cabin expecting to have only his own pain to worry about. He had accepted it. Now he was faced with the possibility that Michelle might suffer reprisals against his non- cooperation.

Misha shouted at his guards, 'Take her blindfold off. I want her to be able to see what's going on now. And sit him down over there, opposite her. Cuff him to the chair, hands and feet. Same as her'

He waited while his orders were carried out. Michelle blinked several times as the blindfold was removed, the pleasure of being able to see again tempered by pain from the sunlight as it streamed though the blinds into her eyes. She looked at Jack, half hidden by the shadows in the room, noticing that he was putting up no resistance to the men pushing him down into the chair. She could see from his face that he had taken a beating and she wondered at the groan of pain he emitted when his right arm was cuffed. She knew Jack well enough to know that any admission of weakness would be involuntary.

When Misha was satisfied that Jack was securely fastened to the chair, he began to speak again.

'Michelle here tells me that you're the person to ask about Farouk', he said to Jack

At the mention of her name, Jack glanced up at her. He immediately wished that he hadn't.

'Surprised Jack?' Misha asked. 'You didn't expect her to talk?'

'Just surprised that she had that information' Jack replied gruffly, quick to recover from his mistake. He was on firm ground here. He could tell the truth without implicating Michelle. She hadn't been given the information. She'd been excluded from the loop because she was going to be out of the office. It was just possible that Tony had told her, but Jack thought that extremely unlikely. Which meant the information couldn't have come from Michelle. It must have originated from the mole.

He focused his mind on who could be leaking the information; only three people had the information that Misha wanted: him, Hammond and the President. A further five people had been made aware of these three names: Tony, Chloe, Adam, Chapelle and Green. Misha had taken Michelle and yet he wasn't using her for leverage against Tony, which probably meant that he hadn't been made aware of their relationship. So the mole didn't know about Tony and Michelle. 'Was that possible?' he wondered. He began to consider the five names: Tony wouldn't put Michelle's life at risk. That seemed certain. Chloe knew that Michelle and Tony were dating. He almost smiled as he recalled her disapproval. Adam worked closely with Tony. He would definitely know that they were together. Which left Chapelle and Green. Chapelle may not have known about Michelle and Tony, but Jack's instinct told him that he probably did. He'd found out about Jack's affair with Nina long before some of the others in the office. He was an interfering bugger. So, if the process of elimination could be trusted, Alberta Green was a traitor. He wondered if his judgement was being clouded by personal dislike.

'You're not denying that you have the information then Jack? Well that's refreshing at least', Misha said, crouching down in front of Jack so that he could look him in the eye. He wondered if Jack was going to make this easier than he had expected.

Jack meanwhile had decided that his educated guess was good enough to try on his interrogator

'There's no point in denying how much I know.' Jack responded, 'When Alberta's obviously told you already'.

He looked directly at Misha as he said it, and was rewarded with a slight widening of his eyes

'You thought I didn't know?' Jack asked innocently.

'I'm asking the questions Jack', Misha said trying to recover his composure.'So let's concentrate on what I don't know – and what I'm going to do to you – both' he added, looking at Michelle and then back to Jack, '..if you don't answer my questions.'

Jack was hopeful now that he could bring the days' events to a very satisfactory conclusion. Knowing the identity of the mole was an unexpected bonus. All he had to do was hold out until Chase arrived - All he _and_ Michelle had to do – he reminded himself reluctantly. Michelle didn't have any information so they would be using her to get to him. And she didn't know that a rescue team were nearby. She wouldn't know that her suffering would be limited. Perhaps he should give them the information? There was a good chance that Tony would have asked Hammond to move Farouk anyway. Should he take that chance?

Misha's face was just inches away from Jack's now and Jack was automatically constructing a mental profile of him just in case he managed to escape when the SWAT team entered. He smelt of stale cigarette smoke and an aftershave which Jack couldn't quite place. As he bore down menacingly, preparing to start his interrogation, Jack wondered if he could get away with giving him a false address. By the time it was checked out; the rescue team should have arrived. But if it hadn't? He glanced quickly at Michelle.

He could see that she was staring at him from across the room and he could see that she was frightened. She'd been here for a while – undergoing what – he didn't care to think about it. She probably knew better than him what their captives had in store for them now. He wondered if there was any way he could stop them hurting her. Pleading? Appealing to some misplaced sense of honour? Both would be totally counter-productive, he knew. If they saw any sign of weakness in him, they would exploit it more. If they went for her, all he could do was show absolute indifference and hope that Misha believed it enough to transfer his attentions to him. Jack hoped that Michelle was making the same calculations. He wondered for a minute if the fear in her eyes was evidence of that

Misha took a step back from Jack. He crossed his arms and cleared his throat before he spoke,

'Listen Jack, I make a lot of money selling information from agents like you so I can assure you that I'm very proficient at what I do – and I take a pride in my work.' He added, amused at his own attempt at humour.

Seeing that Jack didn't intend to contradict him, he continued with his theme,

'I'm sure you recognise much of what I have here Jack,' he said, uncrossing his arms and waving one of his hands around to indicate the tools of his trade carefully organised in the well-stocked room, 'Much of it you will have used yourself. Some of it I think you have experienced before'

Jack did indeed recognise much of the equipment. He was disheartened by the level of expertise he could see here and also by Misha's implication that he knew something of Jack's history. Knowledge of the captive was always an advantage.

His concern was confirmed when Misha moved across to a table and waved a couple of folders in Jack's direction.

'I took the liberty of reading your personnel files - very impressive by the way – both of you,' he said and swung round to make sure that he had Michelle's full attention too.

'You got those quick' Jack said, wondering what was going on. He was sure that Owuso hadn't intended to hand him over. He'd probably hoped to break him and kill him; or break him and let him go. Alive or dead he would be pretty irrelevant to Owuso – or CTU he realised with a pang if irritation– if he was broken. CTU wouldn't keep a Director who'd been compromised.

'I already had them, Jack, already had them. Sooner or late, you two were bound to be useful to me. It just turned out to be sooner.'

Jack found himself reluctantly impressed by Misha's professionalism.

'So – tell me Jack – where is Farouk being held?' Misha asked, clearly unwilling to be distracted any more from his main objective.

'I think you know I can't tell you that.' Jack replied

'I warn you Jack – she screams quite loud.' Misha responded,

'Very loud' he continued, verifying Jack's assumption that he thought he could use Michelle's pain to break him.

Jack stared at him blankly.

'I'll ask you again...' Misha began.

'And I'll tell you the same thing again' Jack interrupted

Misha addressed Owuso, 'Hit her' he commanded

Owuso was happy to oblige and he strode across the room and hit Michelle twice across the face.

Her head swung back with the force of the blows but she remained silent.

Misha looked at Owuso with a wry amusement. 'She's tougher than that, you fool' He laughed dismissively.

Owuso looked back at Michelle angrily. He put one hand against the gunshot wound on her shoulder and began to squeeze. Michelle's screams increased in volume as he increased the pressure, and Owuso was clearly more pleased with his results this time. As the sound resonated around the room, Jack's stomach muscles contracted as if he was feeling the pain himself. He swallowed, realising that his throat felt horribly dry, already wanting to admit defeat. Was he really this easy for Misha to read? He willed himself to resist. He looked outwardly unperturbed and waited until Owuso was finished before speaking.

'I think Alberta may have exaggerated my chivalrous nature' he said to Misha, pleased to hear his voice sounding clear and firm. He doubted that his records implied that he would give up information to save another agent – male or female. Misha had to be working from Alberta's personal suggestions rather than facts.

'We'll see' Misha said and beckoned to another man who seemed already to know what Misha intended to try next. Jack saw the wires and wondered at the chances of Misha choosing the same technique as Owuso had planned earlier. Knowing now that his files had been copied, he realised that it probably wasn't a coincidence. His military medical records would show that he had received electrical burns before. He'd been rescued from a prison camp, pulled out before the interrogation had really got underway but he remembered that he had admitted his fear during the debriefing. Interrogation training hadn't really prepared him for the sudden intensity of the pain or the appalling inhumanity of his captors. The experience had hardened him but the memory of the fear was still with him. But then he thought he could see a way to use his insight into Misha's plans to his advantage.

Misha pulled two wires towards Jack and Jack squirmed in his seat, tipping his chair back slightly in an effort to get away. He knew he was secured too tightly to escape but his body instinctively recoiled from the threat of the torture and he wanted Misha to register the extent of his fear. He had to be careful not to exaggerate his reactions too much. Misha would not expect a total capitulation. He wanted to look unnerved by the threat.

'Ha! That was years ago, Misha. Don't expect me to start talking just because you've shown me that' Jack said, allowing more of the natural tension to creep into his voice.

He saw Michelle looking at him curiously. He only wished he could tell what was going on; what he was doing, – and why.

Misha screwed up his face too, looking at Jack as if he suspected that his fear was not real.

He turned round and pushed the machine across to Michelle.

'So this is OK then Jack?' Rather her than you?'

He asked the question but he could already see some of the tension receding from Jack's body. Jack gave every indication that this was the best possible outcome. Misha wasn't sure that he believed him still. Michelle looked as if she couldn't believe it either

She looked straight at Jack as Misha attached the wires, one on the side of her neck and the other near her shoulder.

'Start with 5 seconds' Misha said to one of the guards who crouched by the controls, Misha looked at Jack, waiting for him to intervene.

But Jack just stared straight back at him, taking his mind to a different place. He could feel Michelle's eyes on him too but he couldn't trust himself to look at her. He knew how afraid she would be. He remembered how he had felt pierced to the core by his own fear years earlier; suddenly so aware of his own weakness in the face of the violence that surrounded him.

Jack reminded himself that she wasn't gagged and she was choosing to remain silent. And he had to keep telling himself that over and over again; telling himself that she might understand, might have already realised that if he could only get Misha to believe that he didn't care about Michelle at all, then – and only then - they might leave her alone. So he stared straight ahead, asking himself what he was going to do if she begged him to give them the information. He was afraid to answer that question..

Michelle was twisting in the chair now.

'Please don't' she begged Misha quietly. But she didn't sound as if she expected him to heed her plea.

Misha turned to face Jack and nodded at the guard. And Jack watched silently as the electricity flashed through Michelle's nervous system. Her body went suddenly rigid and her eyes bulged. She screamed and then bit down on her tongue and blood began to trickle down her chin. Her head lolled forward. Jack remained completely impassive, internalising his horror, the exaggerated rise and fall of his chest not apparent to Owuso or Misha. He hoped for Michelle's sake that she had drifted into unconsciousness

'Well Jack?' Misha said, confused and irritated by the lack of response

'Looks painful' he confirmed as if he had been watching a medical procedure performed on a complete stranger. Only a thin line of sweat on his forehead gave any indication of his inner turmoil.

And then finally Jack heard the words he wanted to hear, 'OK leave her alone. Wire him up and start with ten. I've had enough'

He almost let out a sigh of relief. Michelle was still alive and he had only himself to worry about now.

'I've had enough Jack.' Misha repeated to Jack as he attached the wires. You think you're a hard bstard and', he nodded towards Michelle as she stirred in the chair, obviously regaining consciousness, 'and you're obviously a cruel bstard but you'll break soon enough. Do you want to tell me now or wait a few minutes? Do you remember how you described this pain last time? Well I'll make sure it's worse for you. We'll start with your face and then your chest and then…'

He looked down at Jack's crotch as he writhed against the cuffs.

'And then we'll see if you don't feel more like telling me what I want to know.'

Jack gritted his teeth and Misha hit the switch.

……………………..

Chase trained his binoculars on the guards surrounding the cabin and brought his arm down, indicating to his team that they should move in to take out the guards on the perimeter. Within minutes he received confirmation he wanted, that the first phase was complete. Chase knew they had ten minutes before the guards were required to provide status reports. He had done his research well. He didn't intend to let Jack down by going in too quickly.

Chases signalled again and a ring of men began to converge on the cabin, walking slowly, alert to every movement. There were plenty of bushes providing cover and they kept moving until they were just ten metres from the cabin walls, close enough to hear a primeval scream of pain that made Chase catch his breath. He looked down at the grass beneath his feet and swallowed, trying to regain his composure, not wanting to imagine what ordeal might have caused such a scream, knowing it was almost certainly Jack's voice.

A vibration at his hip warned him of an incoming call from one of his reconnaissance team.

'Edmunds' he responded

'Sir. Phase two complete, sir. But, sir - they have _two_ prisoners'

'Two? Can you identify them?'

'One is definitely Bauer. They're….um …' The soldier hesitated, sickened by what he could see; unsure at first how to describe the scene, 'They're interrogating him now' the soldier said finally, seeing no value in elaborating.

Chase drew in his breath, hearing the confirmation he hadn't wanted - that the scream had been Jack's. He had heard the hesitation in the soldier's voice too, and wondered what he had seen.

'And the other one?' Chase asked

'Female sir. Identity unknown'

'And the number of guards in there?'

'Eight. Two - sometimes three involved in the interrogation. The others are just standing around. About half of them have machine guns. The others appear to have only hand guns,'

'OK. We go in fast. I'll go in low through the door at the front with Jeffries. I want covering fire coming in high though the back window. Make sure it's high, Davis. I don't want to be hit by friendly fire. We'll make our priority the three guards around the prisoners. Get another pair ready behind us – they charge once we're inside. After ten seconds, storm from the side and back. Don't take prisoners. Shoot to kill. '

'Yes Sir' the soldier confirmed

'We'll enter in three minutes. Wait for my signal'

Chase crouched down and within seconds he could here Jeffries' footsteps behind him. Chase nodded at him silently and checked his watch. Suddenly, the silence around them was broken by another scream, this one seeming more horrible than the last. Jeffries screwed up his face, clearly perturbed by the sound and the vivid mental picture of suffering which it immediately conjured for both of them. Chase fidgeted slightly; agitated by the need to wait a further two minutes, keen to revenge Jack's suffering. He watched the seconds tick away and then raised his hand to indicate the start of the assault.

Misha looked into Jack's bloodshot eyes, exasperated by the prisoner's resistance. His face and hair were bathed in sweat and he was retching still. His stomach contents had long gone but his muscles continued to spasm involuntarily in response to the unrelenting torture; and each spasm sparked a screaming pain from the nerves in his broken arm.

'Undo his pants' Misha ordered the man standing next to him. 'Get him ready'.

Michelle could only watch, sickened and humbled by the spectacle she had witnessed so far. She knew how close she had come to breaking; she had been scared by the speed at which she had felt her resistance draining from her. Training exercises didn't come close to replicating the real thing. She knew that now. She had been terrified by the lack of control she felt; shocked by the unrestrained cruelty of her interrogators, unable to handle the intensity of the pain. And then Jack had let them electrocute her; and she had acknowledged the possibility that his courage and endurance had been weakened by past experience.

The realisation had hit moments later - that he was actually manipulating the interrogation to focus the attention on himself. And then she had felt shaken by his bravery and humiliated by the feeling that he had probably known that she was at the limits of her endurance.

She had watched in horror as the as the interrogators gradually reached new heights of brutality, inflamed by Jack's early silent resilience; sometimes increasing the voltage and sometimes the contact time of the electricity, alternating with vicious punches, twisting his broken arm. - She could do more than look on as the pain increased and his resilience began to deteriorate. And then she had felt each scream as if it were a personal cry for help. Surely he couldn't take any more? She felt she might actually be relieved if he broke.

Looking at him now, she felt she could feel all the emotions which flickered in his tired eyes. She knew he was fighting with himself to stay focused, fighting to gain some control over the pain by imagining it before it hit. But it wouldn't be enough. Both of them knew that. The pain would overwhelm all attempts to encompass it. And it seemed he must take even more before his body would allow him the solace of passing out.

And now they prepared to strip him of the last vestiges of human dignity. She looked away briefly – and a shadow at the window alerted her to the possibility that there was someone other than a guard outside. Within seconds, the front door was kicked in and the small cabin was awash with a black suited SWAT team. The sound of the gun fire echoed around the room and bodies dropped like flies. The speed and precision of the attack was overwhelming. A feeling of relief flooded Michelle's body as she saw the last man fall and knew they would be free. She also realised immediately that her arms were trembling against the rope that bound them.

She looked down and saw that it was Chase on his knees in front of her, untying the ropes around her ankles. She could feel a man behind her too; loosening the rope around her arms. She found her voice was a little shaky when she tried to talk but it was clear enough;

'Chase – please check on Jack. He's taken the worst of it.'

Chase looked round at Jack, aware that his silence was evidence enough of his suffering. 'It's Ok, Michelle. The medical team are with him already.'

As he spoke, two more medics appeared at his side ready to tend Michelle's wounds so he nodded at Michelle and went over to Jack who was already lying on a stretcher, watching with blurred eyes as a drip was inserted into his uninjured arm.

'No morphine yet' Jack croaked at the medic. 'Let me talk to this man for a minute first'

He felt exhausted and his body throbbed with pain but he could still feel the satisfaction of bringing the operation to a satisfactory conclusion. He would debrief Chase and then welcome the drowsy relief which he knew the pain relief would provide.


End file.
